A Study on Ethnicity of

1
A Study on Ethnicity of Young Okinawans in
Hawaii
By Nari Yamamoto Research Institute for
Subtropics Kinmen Island, Taiwan November 2004

Photo by Jon Itomura
2
Outline

• I Hawaii and Okinawa
• II Okinawans in Hawaii
• III Who Are Young Okinawans?
• IV YOH members
• V Young Okinawans
• VI Conclusion

3
Location of Hawaii Okinawa
Hawaii
Okinawa
4
Sandy beach in Oahu, Hawaii
5
Oppama beach in Okinawa
6
Similarities between Hawaii and Okinawa
Population
Location
History
Economy
7
Hawaii Okinawa
Population 1,211,537 0.7 of USA 1,356,651 1.0 of Japan
Location Island State Remote from Mainland Island Prefecture Remote from Mainland
History Island Kingdom annexed to USA 1898 Island Kingdom annexed to Japan 1879
Economy Tourism, Agriculture, US military Bases Tourism, Agriculture, US military Bases
8
Ranking of Races in Hawaii

• White22
• Japanese 20
• Hawaiian 17

9
Okinawans in Hawaii

• Japanese
• ???262,113 people
• Okinawan5,998 people

10
Cultural Events in Hawaii

• King Kamehameha Festival
• Aloha Festival
• Independence Day
• New Year Festival
• Bon Festival
• Okinawan Festival

11
Bon Festival in Kobo-ji temple
12
Okinawan Events in Hawaii

• Okinawan Festival
• Uchinanchu Conference

13
Okinawan Festival
14
Lion dance by YOH
15
Uchinanchu Conference 2003, Oct.
16
Who Are the Young Okinwans?

• Descendants of Okinawan Immigrants
• Generations 2nd to 5th
• Age 20s to 40s

17
VIEWPOINT
Ethnicity/ethnic identity at Hare occasions and
daily life may not be the same.
18

Ethnicity/ethnic identity of Young Okinawans in
Hawaii
Research Targets
YOH(Young Okinawans of Hawaii) members
Young Okinawans with Okinawan cultural activity
Other Young Okinawans
19
Research Method
1.Questionnaires 2.Individual Interviews 3.
Observation and Participation
20
Data Analysis
Birth Place /Generation
Family
Ethnicity/Ethnic Identity
Life Experience
Cultural Activity
Future
21
What is YOH?

• Young OKinawans of Hawaii
• Okinawan Bon Dance Team Established in 1981
• Members Okinawans
• Activities Bon dance

22
???The keys to the Preservation And Perpetuation
Of our Uchinanchu culture In Hawaii And into the
Millennium.
Leaflet of Young Okinawans of Hawaii
23
Bon dance practice
24
Bon festival at Jiko-en temple
25
YOH members

• Questionnaires
• (27 people)
• Individual interviews
• (6 people)
• Participation and
• Observation

26
Young Okinawan with Okinawan Cultural Activity

• Individual interviews
• a.Young Okinawans
• (5 people)
• b.Parents of Young
• Okinawans
• (2 people)

27
Okinawan Karate class
28
Traditional Okinawan music
Okinawan music band
29
Other Young Okinawan

• Individual interviews
• a.Young Okinawans
• (6 people)
• b.Grand parents of Young Okinawans
• (2 people)

30
? Complex formation
?Relation between Formation level and Life stage
?Plural formation in multi-ethnic society
31
?Complex Formation
32
Bon Dance for Young Okinawans with Cultural
Activities
?Matsuri which they used to go with parents or
grandparents ?Matsuri which they took their
children to ?Event which they merely had
chance to join
33
?Relation between Formation level and Life Stage
34
Other Young Okinawans
?More influence from Japanese relatives ?Too
busy to recognize ethnic culture or identity
while they live their everyday life to achieve
their goal ?Not enough information on Okinawa
from parents or grand parents ?Has no chance
to aware of their ethnicity
35
?Plural and Complex Ethnicity in Multi-ethnic
Society
Local identity Okinawa or Japanese
36

social position shared with other ethnic
groups
Local
?Born and raised in Hawaii ?Grow up in
multi-cultural/ethnic society ?Society in
continental U.S. and Hawaii is different
37
How to Identify Ethnicity
?Third generation Okinawan man who has lived in
Okinawa before
Continental U.S.
AsianAmerican
Japanese/Okinawan
Hawaii
American/Nikkei
Okinawa
38
Perpetuation of Ethnicity
Perpetuation of Ethnicity has already
started
39
Rise of New Culture
40
Concerns for Perpetuation of Ethnicity
Growth Number of Marriage between Different
Ethnicities Shin-Issei, New First Generation
41
For in depth analysis

• More samples
• Comparison with other ethnic groups in Hawaii

42
Mahalo to

• YOH members
• HUOA members
• Young Okinawans and their families

43
Big Mahalo and Ippei Nihei Debiru!